Xabi Alonso
| cityofbirth = Tolosa | countryofbirth = Spain | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears = | youthclubs = Antiguoko Real Sociedad | years = 1999–2001 1999–2004 2000–2001 2004–2009 2009–2014 2014–2017 | clubs = Real Sociedad B Real Sociedad → Eibar (loan) Liverpool Real Madrid Bayern Munich | caps(goals) = 39 (2) 114 (9) 14 (0) 143 (15) 158 (4) 79 (5) | nationalyears = 2000 2002-2003 2003-2014 2001-2012 | nationalteam = Spain U18 Spain U21 Spain Basque Country | nationalcaps(goals) = 1 (0) 9 (0) 114 (16) 5 (0) | manageryears = | managerclubs = }} Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano (born 25 November 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central midfielder. Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home province Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar, he returned to Sociedad where then-manager John Toshack appointed Alonso as his team captain. Alonso succeeded in the role, taking Real Sociedad to second place in the 2002–03 season. He moved to Liverpool in August 2004 for £10.5 million. He won the UEFA Champions League in his first season at the club, under manager Rafael Benítez, scoring the equalising goal in the Final against Milan. The following season, he won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield. He moved to Real Madrid for the start of the 2009–10 season in a deal worth around £30 million. After five seasons at the club, winning honours including a league title in 2012 and the Champions League in 2014, he was signed by German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on a two-year contract. He made his international debut for Spain in April 2003 in a 4–0 victory against Ecuador. While playing for Spain, Alonso has won Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, and he has also represented his country at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. On 23 June 2012, Alonso won his 100th cap for Spain in the quarter-final of Euro 2012 against France; he celebrated the occasion by scoring both of Spain's goals to send them into the semi-finals. Following Spain's failure to progress out of the group stages at the 2014 World Cup, Alonso retired from international football on 27 August 2014. His 114 caps make him the fifth-most capped player in the nation's history. Honours Clubs ;Liverpool *FA Cup (1): 2006 *FA Community Shield (1): 2006 *UEFA Champions League (1): 2005 *UEFA Super Cup (1): 2005 ;Real Madrid *La Liga (1): 2011–12 *Copa del Rey (2): 2010–11, 2013–14 *Supercopa de España (1): 2012 *UEFA Champions League (1): 2013–14 ;Bayern Munich *Bundesliga (3): 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17 *DFB-Pokal (1): 2015—16 *DFL-Supercup (1): 2016 Country *FIFA World Cup (1): 2010 *UEFA European Championship (2): 2008, 2012 External links *Profile on Realmadrid.com *BDFutbol profile *National team data *2010 FIFA World Cup profile *LFCHistory.net Profile *Profile at BBC Sport *Profile at ESPN *Transfermarkt profile Category:1981 births Category:Basque players Category:Midfielders Category:La Liga players Category:Segunda División players Category:Tercera División players Category:Real Sociedad players Category:SD Eibar players Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Premier League players Category:Liverpool F.C. players Category:Spain youth international players Category:Spain under-21 international players Category:Spain international players Category:FIFA Century Club Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2012 players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:Players Category:Spanish players Category:Living people Category:2014 FIFA World Cup players